San Ġiljan Local Council

Welcome to San Ġiljan Local Council

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St. Julian’s initially a fishing village, later became a summer residence for wealthy locals and has now devoloped into one of the Island’s mostly fetched resorts for night life and entertainment, especially for the youngsters and the middle aged. Within walking distance to Paceville, this village still retains some of its’ old dwellings and boat houses.

The small bay still shelters numerous coloured Maltese boats that are berthed here all year long. St. Julian’s derives it’s name from the Patron Saint of hunters. St. Julian’s is a village for all ages and walks of life. The young at heart will enjoy nearby Paceville – this locality offers much to tourists looking for nightlife entertainment, including discos, bars, Casino restaurants and other entertainment.

Although St. Julian’s was once a fishing village only a few fisherman remain. The modern trade in St. Julian’s is connected with tourists and nightlife

The town is named after its patron saint; Saint Julian who is widely known as Julian the Hospitaller and Julian the Poor whereby he is the patron Saint of hunters. Before the reform to the Calendar of Saints, the memorial to St Julian was on 27 January. Nowadays, it is celebrated on 12 February, although in Malta an additional feast, in the spirit of the many summer feasts around the island, is celebrated on the last Sunday of August.

A very particular competition connected with the town’s feast is known as ‘ġostra’. This traditional competitive feat involves participants climbing and running as far as possible along a sloping greased pole which is suspended above the sea. The winner is the person to grab one of three flags dangling from the edge, each flag representing a certain prize.

Another tradition connected with the feast of this locality is ‘Musketterija’. Starting in 1982, this tradition sees Hunters firing blank cartridges filled with black powder from the roof of the parish church as the statue of the patron saint is brought out of the church. Many say this tradition is in line with the history of the locality which used to be hunting grounds for the Knights of Malta.